Process of recovering nickel



Patented July 13, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATs r tor-r ce.

wInFinLn SOHLEY LIENHARDT, or s'rArLn'ron, new Yonn, Ass'rsnon' TO METAL &

THERMIT GORPORATIQN, OF CARTERET,

JERSEY.

No Drawing 7 such as zinc, may be used whereby the nickel] is precipitated as metal; all as more fully hereinafter set forth and as claimed.

In another and copending application,

Serial No. 34,868, filed June 4:, 1925, I have described and claimed a processof recovering nickel from acid liquors containing the metal in relatively small amounts, such as waste acid liquors from copper refineries, exhausted plating solutions, acid solutions used in leaching ores containing nickel, etc. These liquors are generally heavily acid with sulfuric acid. otherwise contact the acid liquor with extensive surfaces of a metal more positive than nickel, this metal usually being iron,

such as scrap iron, borings, shavings, chips, etc. The iron goes into solution and the nickel is thrown down, generally in a sludge or mud form, as a loosely adhering readily removable from'the iron either by the flow of the solution itself or by a washing operation. Generally the operation is performed at a temperature of 60 C. or higher, for the sake of quickness of action and completeness oi stripping. I Usually the liquors are highly acid, the acidity sometimes being as high as l820 per cent H 80,

Ordinarily, the iron is used in large excess ot' the amount required to react to completion with the acid present.

I have found that in this operation it conduces to an economy in iron goinginto solution and to a quickenlng of action if the D liquid under treatment contains the chlorid ion, Cl. This may be added in the form of hydrochloric acid or, which is exactly the same thing, by at ding a soluble chlorid. Common salt, NaCl, is a convenient chlorid to use. In contact with the liquor, it naturally reacts to give I-ICl and the Cl ion.

" As explaining the results In this method, I flow or deposit new annsnv, a coaronarron ornnw PROCESS OF 'RECOVERING NICKEL.

Application filed July 16,1925. Serial No. 44,117.

Awide variety ofwater soluble chlorid salts may be used. I may mention as examples: alkali chlorids, such as sodium chlorid and potassium chlorid; alkaline earth chloride, such as calcium chlorid, magnesium chlorid, strontium chlorid, barium chlorid; metallic chlorids, manganese chlorids, zinc chlorid. These are mentioned simply as examples of water soluble chloride which may be used in the performance of. my process, but I do not vconfinemyself to these but desire to cover the use of eachand all water soluble chloride. I may mention that there is a disadvantage in the use of chlorids of metals that come below iron in the 'electromotive series of metals, in that when such chlo'rids are used, such metals are precipitated wholly or in part and thus contaminate the precipitate of nickel. However, the most" economical salt to use is sodium chlorid.

flowing from the use of my invention, I may cite the results shown in certain work with diiierent chlorids. The particular liquor to be stripped of nickel was one containing 176st per cent I-I SO and 2.5 per cent of nickel. 7 To one lot of this liquor (A) an addition of per cent of sodium chlorid was made; to an other lot (B) 10 per centof sodium chlorid was added, and to still another lot (C) per cent of sodium chlorid was added. These three lots, together with a check lot of untreated liquor, which I may call (D),

'were contacted with metallic iron in large i Grains nickle precipi- V Grams tated from 100 grams G films "9 Sodium of solution CODSUYRM Lot e'nlorid figfgf g per 100 l I cini iiteil n solution In 15 1 In qoegfinutg minutes minutes i 5 1. 34 1. SO 5. 1 l0 1. 85 2. l2 4. 7 25 2. 05 2. 42 4. 1 0. 0. 84 l. ()9 S. 4

It is apparent from the data in this table that the addition of sodium chlorid increased the'rate of precipitation of nickel, increased the amount of nickel finally obtained at theend of the operation, and dechloride, such as ironchlorids, aluminum creased the consumption of precipitating metal (in this case iron) per unit Weight of nickel precipitated.

Similar results Were obtained by the addition of equivalent amounts of hydrochloric acid and of other chlorids. The important thing is to secure HCl or Cl; and sodium chlorid is merely a convenient means of securing the presence of the chlorid ion in solution.

VVh-at I claim is:

1. In the recovery of nickel from solutions containing the same and also containing suli'uric acid by the precipitation'of the nickel as such by metals higherin the electromotive series, the process which comprises adding material giving the chlorid ion to such a solution prior to precipitation.

in the recovery of nickel from solutions containing the same and also containing sulfuric acid by the precipitation of the nickel as such by metals higher in the electromotive series, the process which comprises adding sodium chlorid to such a solution prior to precipitation.

In therecovery of nickel froinsolutions containingthe same and also containing sul- 'furic acid bytheuse of iron the process which comprises adding sodium chlorid to such a solution. prior to precipitation.

In testimony whereof]: affix my signature. XVINFIELD SGI-ILEY LIENHARDT. 

